With the ever increasing trend in agriculture towards larger properties and more and more cropping, one Wimmera-based sheep enthusiast is pushing against the flow.
Tim Jorgensen's passion is for sheep and he scoffs at spending any more time in the tractor than necessary.
The 30-year-old started his path in agriculture early, as is common, starting a school-based apprenticeship.
He had a passion for farming and a dislike of school.
He said the limitations today of the price of buying land and machinery meant it was difficult to get a start in farming.
After completing his Certificate IV in Agriculture in 2006, he began working full-time on the farm.
"I never would have stayed at school if it wasn't for the ability to spend only two days a week at school," he said.
In 2008, as a teenager, he began leasing a 250-hectare property which he has since purchased.
The family business involves his parents Basil and Heather, and he is focused on the sheep enterprises.
"I'm not interested in the cropping side, they can have their tractors," he said.
"I've been involved with the studs for a long time, I kept the records for the studs since I was about 10."
The sheep side includes Mertex Texel and White Suffolk studs and a 4000-head flock of self-replacing composite ewes.
The commercial sheep are run on land the about 110 kilometres south of the home farm, while the stud sheep stay at home.
Mr Jorgensen said the stud breeding program had to be commercially-orientated.
"It's all about breeding a sheep that produces lambs that are fast growing," he said.
"[There's] no point in having a show sheep that doesn't do anything, it's got to be able to perform in the paddock."
The flock currently has a lambing percentage of 160-175 per cent.
While the stud is in LambPlan, he uses the figures as a tool, preferring to go by eye when making breeding decisions.
New to the program this year is a inaugural on-property ram sale.
He will offer 105 rams including Texel, White Suffolk and composites - Texel/White Suffolk-cross.
Mr Jorgensen said seasonal fluctuations and the rules and regulations were major challenges.
He said the industry wouldn't have a problem from activists as long as producers looked after their stock.
He sees the show circuit was a way of getting a break from the farm to socialise with "people who are like-minded".
The show also provided an opportunity to benchmark his flock against other breeders.
He is on the Texel Victorian council "to bring some younger influence".
He also judges in a few show rings.
